DoctorOfSpace, what is light pollution like where you are? Where I live it tends to wash out most showers even in the winter. This summer has been particularly poor for skywatching and I'm dubious about my chances for seeing much of anything.

DoctorOfSpace, what is light pollution like where you are? Where I live it tends to wash out most showers even in the winter. This summer has been particularly poor for skywatching and I'm dubious about my chances for seeing much of anything.

I can answer that with a quote

Quote (Talisman)

I live in a city but the light pollution actually isn't that bad.

In my area you can see most of the major constellations, especially in a dark backyard but if I go into the highly illuminated areas then only the local planets are visible and depending on light intensity some of the closer or brighter stars.

In my area you can see most of the major constellations, especially in a dark backyard but if I go into the highly illuminated areas then only the local planets are visible and depending on light intensity some of the closer or brighter stars.

Yep, I can see maybe 30+ (40+ on a good night) stars if I look hard enough in my back yard with the naked eye. (Unlimited if I bring out my scope) Also I didn't see any Perseid's, might be too south though. (Texas)

Technically it started in July and will increase to a higher number this weekend. You won't see many right now but if you stay outside for a little while you may see 1 or 2 every 45 minutes to an hour.

Without a telescope its pretty difficult to get images of them without leaving my camera on a minute long exposure and repeating this in the same section of the sky.

Yep, I can see maybe 30+ (40+ on a good night) stars if I look hard enough in my back yard with the naked eye.

How you can say that that "isn't that bad" is beyond me. I consider being able to see only 3 dozen stars atrocious.

I'll go check it out near peak maybe. I just hate warm weather and being surrounded by insects, so I usually abstain from prolonged summer skywatching. In the winter, when the air is clear, the sky is darker, and the bugs are gone, I can stay out all night in below freezing temperatures

In the winter, when the air is clear, the sky is darker, and the bugs are gone, I can stay out all night in below freezing temperatures

You should try winters here. Summer is terrible but nights are tolerable, low bugs in the cities. In the outskirts of the cities where the bugs are in spring and summer is amazing in winter when there are no bugs. You get really warm nights with nice cool breeze, very dark skies, and loads of visible stars.

Also 2 images of all I can get in the middle of the city where I live. if I let the exposure run longer then it becomes far too washed out, any shorter and its too dark. Still it should be perfect for the meteor shower.

20 second exposure

15 second exposure

Anything over 20 seconds and the sky starts to become very opaque, under 15 seconds and only the brightest stars show up.

Put my ISO way down to 100 because I usually shoot nature photography during daytime. In the 20 second image I had it set to 100 ISO and F/4 or 5.6 not entirely sure. I prefer using lower ISOs, I find i get over all better looking images and far less hot pixels.

Yeah, in like... downtown Manhattan. But usually near a major city you can expect between 1 and 3 dozen stars (based on my experiences in a city adjacent to Atlanta; ~10 stars were visible in summer, ~30 in winter). What city in Texas are you near? I used to frequent Texas a long time ago so I'm just curious.

Quote (Talisman)

What is best temperature for astronomy seeing conditions?

Cool and dry, with high elevation, like in Flagstaff, Arizona (my dream to live there one day) Preferably above any thermal inversion layers and other atmospheric phenomena as well. This is what makes Cerro Paranal in Chile such a prime spot for ESO.

What city in Texas are you near? I used to frequent Texas a long time ago so I'm just curious.

Near the Dallas area.

And yeah I think it's mostly the heat over here now. Even at night it's in the high 90's, when I first got my telescope it was very cold at night and there might have been a lot more stars visible but I don't remember.